Press Release
Embargoed until 1:00 PM ET
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Contact: CDC Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
High rates of sexual violence against children: A global problem
Few victims receive supportive services
Sexual violence against children is a significant problem in many low- and middle-income countries. At least 25 percent of females and 10 percent of males experienced some form of childhood sexual violence in the majority of seven countries studied, according to findings from the Violence Against Children Surveys (VACS) released today in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Among the children who reported experiencing childhood sexual violence, fewer than 1 in 10 received supportive services, including healthcare, legal/security aid, or counseling support.
“Far too many of the world’s children experience sexual violence and have long-lasting physical and mental health effects,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “It is crucial that communities, governments, and families increase legal and society-wide efforts to protect children and provide healthcare, legal, and counseling support.”
The VACS data highlighted in this report focus on lifetime childhood sexual violence (before age 18 years) among female and male respondents’ ages 18 to 24 in seven countries (Swaziland, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Haiti, and Cambodia).
The most recent data, collected between 2007 and 2013, show that patterns in the prevalence of any form of sexual violence differed by country. Swaziland and Zimbabwe reported the highest rates of sexual violence among females (38 percent and 33 percent, respectively); Cambodia reported the lowest rates for both females (4 percent) and males (6 percent).
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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